From a young age, Selena Gomez has made a large impact on popular culture and entertainment. As an actress, singer and now philanthropist, Selena Gomez is at the forefront of what would be considered a positive female role model. Furthermore, the charitable nature of Selena Gomez has grown to be more public, and Selena has more of an influence on the world than people realize. For example, “Selena’s latest post has fans expressing their love and support for the star by making a donation to the Lupus Research Alliance, and those donations are adding up in a big way.” Lupus is a serious autoimmune disease that mostly effects women. This condition in particular has effected Selena Gomez in the personal sense, causing her to take action against the disease. Selena Gomez also carries herself with a positive attitude, causing the individuals around her to follow her actions more intently. This can be noticed when Gomez stated, “I continue to be optimistic about the progress being made in lupus research and am proud to support the promising work at the Keck School of Medicine,” Gomez said. The Keck School of Medicine is one of the finest institutions in North America, me that Selena chose wisely in who she donated her money to. The representatives of this school have spoken out in support of Gomez, as well as thanking her for her altruism. For example, one of the leading researchers at the Keck School of Medicine claims that “complications from systemic lupus cause serious damage and we are hopeful that our research, with Selena’s support, will help those affected by this disease lead full, healthy lives.” Selena has put forward a large amount of money in an effort to get rid of this harmful condition. Furthermore, this money focus on specific aspects concerning Lupus, aspects and traits that have touched Selena personally. To understand the impact this disease had on Selena Gomez, the Lupus condition itself must be examined.
What is Lupus?
Lupus is not an uncommon condition among humans, making this disease more serious than most people realize. As an autoimmune disorder, Lupus attacks the healthy elements of the body and enables the harmful elements of the world to enter the immune system. “Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs). “Chronic” means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years.” Many of the individuals that contract a chronic pain illness do not get rid of the condition itself. Normally, overcoming the symptoms of a chronic autoimmune disease takes several years. Essentially, the individual with the condition learns to cope with their issues and create a functional lifestyle of their own. On another note, “Lupus makes the immune system unable to differentiate between antigens (a substance capable of inducing a specific immune response) and healthy tissue. This leads the immune system to direct antibodies against the healthy tissue – not just antigens – causing swelling, pain, and tissue damage.” The symptoms listed above are minuscule when compared to the damage that full blown Lupus can cause. Autoimmune conditions can leave openings for almost every communicable disease in the medical community. With a condition of this magnitude, “any part of the body can be affected by lupus as it has an array of clinical manifestations affecting the skin, joints, brain, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels and other internal organs.” These issues associated with Lupus are preventable with the proper amount of care. However, without awareness and a strong support system, the Lupus condition can become more serious than anticipated. Selena Gomez understands these Lupus issues personally, and she has dedicated a portion of her career to fighting this disease.
Exploring the Life of Selena Gomez
On stage, Selena may appear to be an unstoppable force, inspiring others with her energy and words of wisdom. Off stage, Selena is an average human being with an above average sense of ambition. Selena Gomez takes pride in her work, and she does so to separate herself from the negative aspects of society. Furthermore, “Selena’s openness and strong emotional connection to her worldwide audience has brought extraordinary awareness to a disease that is typically overlooked” Lupus is constantly being overlooked, yet it is still very much a serious medical condition. As an autoimmune disease, Lupus can make the strongest willed individuals feel helpless. When it refers to human beings and especially her fans, Selena Gomez is willing to do whatever is necessary for the sake of their health and happiness. As stated earlier, “Gomez has personally helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for research, especially by donating a portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold on her last tour.” More often than not, Selena Gomez’s shows sell out and become incredibly profitable for her. With all of these funds available to her, this leaves room for several questions concerning her financial choices. The largest question would be “why Selena decided to donate this much money towards Lupus research.”
What Impact Does Lupus have on Selena?
The Lupus condition is near to Gomez in the sense of how she actually has the condition. Lupus can effect anyone, including celebrities, and Selena Gomez is not an exception to this standard. In fact, Selena’s Lupus condition grew more advanced than most cases of the disease. For instance, “Selena’s most recent call to action came in the form of an Instagram caption that also revealed she had received a kidney transplant this summer to help treat her lupus. After thanking friend and actress Francia Raísa for donating her kidney, Selena focused on the disease itself and what can be done to help fuel the fight against it.” This search for a cure has created a drive within the young actress, and she felt as if something needed to be done surrounding the issue of Lupus. For example, “her efforts have included “donating a portion of tickets sales for her last concert tour to the Lupus Research Alliance and requesting donations to us on the occasion of her birthday, as well as yesterday’s announcement. Together her appeals have raised almost $500,000 for research funded by the Lupus Research Alliance.” Other diseases receive funding worth hundreds of millions of dollars, yet Lupus is at the back burner of how these funds should be processed. The only way to receive more funding for these diseases of lesser importance is to raise the correct amount of awareness. With the help of Selena Gomez and the attention brought on by her personal struggle with the condition, the Lupus condition has a stronger chance of being cured.
To put matters into perspective, the Lupus condition takes away much from the everyday lives of those with the condition itself. Selena has personally experienced the issues associated with this degenerative condition, and she has acted out as a result of what she has learned. Not only has Selena Gomez donated large amounts of money towards fighting the Lupus condition, she has also created a charitable organization on behalf of those who also contain this disease. For instance, “The entertainer created the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research that will initially support a pilot research program focusing on treating complications of lupus, led by Janos Peti-Peterdi, professor of physiology and biophysics at the Keck School of Medicine.” As research grows and more individuals support the cause of Lupus reduction, the effects of the Lupus condition are more understandable. In the medical world, when a condition is understood, the treatment methods surrounding this condition are more easily processed. Selena Gomez understood this principle and took several matters into her own hands. To build on her influence, “it looks like Selena has joined a group of celebrities — including Lena Dunham, Lady Gaga, and Demi Lovato — who are willing to speak out about their experiences with misunderstood or stigmatized illnesses to help increase funding and awareness.” Increased funding and awareness is the first step towards finding a cure for any condition. In the case of Lupus, it is going to take a large amount of awareness to provide the world with a functional cure. Publicity is one of the fastest and most effective methods of spreading awareness. With the assistance of Selena Gomez, the Lupus condition as a whole became more treatable.
